Mediclinic Confirms Adjusted Visiting Arrangements

These measures will allow non-Covid patients to indicate a designated visitor during their admission. The designated individual will have access to visit their relative between 11am and 5pm each day. As the hospital’s capacity is being released, additional hospitals will come on board with the revised and more flexible visitation policy.

“Our hospitals are once again scaling up on elective surgeries,” says Dr Stefan Smuts, Chief Clinical Officer of Mediclinic Southern Africa. “Our specialists are happy to safely welcome patients back for consultation and treatment, and we are seeing an increase in the number of surgeries being performed. We acknowledge that patients were cautious to seek treatment during the pandemic, but we are happy that they are now presenting for care in order to ensure their health is not put further at risk.”

As happened during the peak of the pandemic, Mediclinic will continue to ensure that patients testing positive for COVID-19 remain in touch with their families by means of virtual conversations on zoom and similar technology. This has allowed family members to speak to patients, and for patients to receive some love and motivation to continue their recovery fight.

“Where it has been possible during the pandemic, Mediclinic has continued to allow the family members of non-Covid patients to visit should the patients have been terminally ill,” explains Dr Smuts.

Mediclinic also understands the importance of experiencing childbirth as a family unit. For this reason, during the COVID-19 pandemic, partners have been able to attend the birth of their child (unless the father was COVID-19 positive at the time of the birth).

“We have also retained the right in our obstetric units for a partner to visit the mother and child each day, and where possible, boarding has continued. While we have permitted partners access to visit once a day, this has not had a time limit attached,” Dr Smuts explains. Mediclinic has also continued to allow both parents access to the Neonatal ICU; with the condition that only one parent visits at a time, to ensure that essential bonding continues.

Dr Smuts assures the community, “Mediclinic is constantly re-evaluating our visitor policies and we are investigating the best options in this regard to ensure the optimal safety of our patients, staff and visitors.”